Carey and Minaj feud goes public

Mariah Carey has accused fellow American Idol judge Nicki Minaj of threatening to shoot her.

The songstress reported the threat to TV personality Barbara Walters in a conversation detailed on US television show The View, giving new details of the flare-up between the two singers on Tuesday.

Consulting her notes, Barbara recounted a phone conversation with Mariah just before the talk show went on the air. She said Mariah told her that "when Nicki walked off the set, multiple people heard Nicki say, 'If I had a gun I would shoot the (adjective which Barbara did not say) b****'."

According to Barbara, both stars attended a meeting on Wednesday and Nicki said to Mariah: "I love you, but we might fight again." Mariah apparently responded: "No, we will not."

Barbara said Mariah told her that the singer had hired extra security. "Mariah said she doesn't feel comfortable emotionally," she reported. "But she will continue with the show because she loves the show. And she loves mentoring the contestants."

Barbara issued an invitation to Nicki, a past guest of The View, asking her to return to the programme to give her side of the story.

But Nicki wasted no time responding with a string of Twitter postings.

One read: "Hey yAll. Lets just say nicki said smthn about a gun. Ppl will believe it cuz she's a black rapper. Lmao. I'll then hit up Barbara n milk it."

She continued: "Ironically no camera or mic heard the gun comment tho. Lol (at) the struggle. Not even the producers believed u. Say no to violence barbz."

A bit later, she tweeted: "I don't call tmz n Barbara Walters cuz I stand on my own two feet. Never needed an army. God is good. Insecurity is as cruel as the grave."